Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"The Happy Prince" is a new British historic drama focusing on the final years in the life of renowned British writer Oscar Wilde. The latter is played by Golden-Globe nominated actor Rupert Everett (slightly under the age of 60) and this film is also the first theatrical release by him as writer and director, so obviously it is a project pretty close to his heart. It runs for 105 minutes and features more established British actors like Firth, Watson and Wilkinson next to Everett, but eventually their characters may bear some significance, but it's all about Everett's Wilde and nobody else. With the exception of the final moments, he is in every scene and he simply makes the movie and everything about it. The film is less about his art really because there are many moment when we hear that his writing career was basically over, for example when he mentions that he sold his newest work to several publishers without having written a single word about it. It's not a biopic. The focus is just on the man's last years and how he was struggling not necessarily with his homosexuality, but with how homosexuality was perceived back in the day. His own approach to (gay) love was dedicated and true, even if the man he showed an interest in did not always have an easy time due to who Wilde was. The part with the alias is the best example. But also they struggled with his preferences because it is never really clear who he loves, who he is just interested in and who he cares deeply about. the only similarity there is that basically all his love interest were considerably younger than him, even very young at times like the flower vendor near the end. The film is as much about homosexuality as it is about everything else. The scene with all these men meeting and one guy's mother eintering the room and expressing her reluctance with the scenario clearly thinking they hid women somewhere while not even getting close to the core of the men's sexual preference because of who she was and how stuff like that had no place in her life by any means. Then there is also the aspect of money, financial struggles and how Wilde eventually moved that deep into poverty that he had to ask a fan for some money in what was maybe the most heartbreaking scene of the film as his sexual tendencies destroyed not only his career, but his life as a whole. The meltdown scene with the boys following him and bullying him is the most obvious example there. Still, he can be lucky throughout the entire film that he never lost touch with friends or was really completely alone, also thanks to his charisma for sure, which stayed for a long time after his writing skills had faded away apparently. For example, during several occasions you see that he was a pretty appreciated entertainer and singer too and not because he was everybody's fool. So I give a big thumbs-up to Everett here, it's fairly impressive for a rookie project there's no denying. And it's obvious that he drew a lot of inspiration from all the big filmmakers he already worked with when making this collaboration between several European countries. It's not a film that will attract a great deal of awards recognition during the big ceremonies I'm afraid, even if it was rock solid in terms of sets and costumes and make-up. I definitely enjoyed the watch and it never dragged and for a film as close to 2 hours as to 90 minutes, that is always a success. I somehow doubt Everett can repeat the awards success Fry had with the same character many years before, but it would not be undeserving at all. And I am writing this as somebody who has virtually no connection with Oscar Wilde as I have not read a single piece of his works I think and also as somebody who is not that big on period pieces in general. But this one deserves to be seen for sure. A thumbs-up without a doubt. Go check it out. Everetts portrayal alone is worth the entire watch.
